Choices
by TieDjee
Summary: Mirai Trunks is thinking about the loss he has suffered with the death of Gohan, is there still hope?


Author's notes: I've many ideas, but don't want/can work them all out into full blown stories, sorry for that. But to still share my ideas I will upload one-shots with the idea like this one, people are allowed to continue them if they mention in the summary that they borrowed from me.

**Choices**

It was raining outside, perfectly reflecting Trunks' mood. His mentor, no, his friend and father figure died fighting the Androids two weeks ago. Trunks wanted to help, but Gohan knocked him out, to protect him. Sometimes it sure felt different to Trunks though, it felt like he was useless, that he wasn't strong enough to help, that he was weak. Sure, afterwards Trunks unlocked the strength of a Super Saiyan, but the price paid wasn't worth it. Seeing the bloody and broken body of Gohan wasn't worth it, but it was too late to reverse that.

Trunks felt stupid, after turning Super Saiyan for the first time, he flew away with his emotions running wild. Leaving the body of his master in a puddle between the ruins, when he came back for it the body was gone. His mother, Bulma, told him that Gohan probably got to keep his body in Otherworld for his good deeds like Goku when he died.

Goku, the man who saved the world multiple times, the man who gave everybody a second chance, a choice to turn to the other side. Would he have given the Androids a choice? Trunks knew he would not, for he could not forgive them for what they had taken from him. Even though his mentor Gohan held his father high in respect, we both wouldn't think twice about the choice to destroy them when we have the chance.

_*Flashback, one month before Gohan's death:*_

'_Choices; Gohan chose to give the last Senzu bean to me…'_ Trunks thought as he sat down by the bed where a nursed Gohan lay on, having lost his arm and earned a scar across his eye that day.

"It's my fault." Trunks said.

Gohan raised an eyebrow: "Care to elaborate? Because I don't see it that way."

"You said you'd handle it, but I stupidly choose to help you." Trunks answered

"And thanks to that I could focus on Android 17 without 18 interfering." Gohan replied.

"But my choice was wrong, if I didn't interfere, sure the fight would have been hard, but you would escape and grow stronger to fight another day. Now my choice cost you an arm, because I was weak and got myself in danger." Trunks said.

"Now listen to me, I made the choice to let you stay near the action and I would have ordered the weak to escape and I made the choice to save you, so stop blaming yourself." Gohan finished.

A silence fell.

Gohan sighed: "Choices aren't always as simple as two paths with one path towards a good ending and one towards a bad ending." Gohan started softly.

Trunks quirked an eyebrow as Gohan continued: "You know how they always attack every month on the 12th and then stay quiet until the next 12th?"

Trunks nodded.

"Do you know why they skipped the 12th of the past month?" Gohan asked.

"No, I didn't know that." Trunks replied, interested in what Gohan had to say.

Gohan took a deep breath as he continued: "You know how I have a few places to rest after my battles with the androids over the years; here at CC, my mom in the mountain area, Korin's Tower, ect."

Again Trunks nods.

"Three months ago, after the fight I was flying towards the mountain area to rest, but halfway I lost consciousness, due lack of energy. I crash-landed into Orange Star City, the people of that city were very nice, they patched me up. Apparently I've become quite famous amongst survivors, they recognized me as the 'Golden Angel' who was fighting the androids. Anyway, that's how I got another 'safe haven', it was the first place where I actually could converse with other people outside my close nit. I had a good time there, made a few friends and even…" Gohan stopped a feint hint of a blush appeared on his cheeks.

"managed to get very well acquainted with a girl named Videl." Gohan finished.

Trunks looked at his master and teasingly asked: "Girlfriend?"

The blush became more apparent on his face as he answered: "I don't exactly know what we were but in three weeks we'd grown close, very very close."

Gohan's face took a very serious look as he continued: "What I also didn't know was that that time the androids had followed me when I crashed in Orange Star City. They'd observed me and noticed me spending a lot of time with Videl. When the next 12th came I was flying towards Orange Star City from home after getting 'good luck' wished by my mom. When suddenly the android duo fazed in front of me with Android 18 holding Videl in a chokehold. They gave me a choice: save Videl from 18 or the Orange Star City from 17, I was so shocked that I almost didn't notice them split up and flying away."

"I didn't know..." Trunks stammered.

"I chose to save the city, I didn't want myself blinded by emotions, so I chose it by math, save as many as I could. Though that didn't mean I wasn't angry, I was very angry, I speeded towards the city in Super Saiyan, 17 was just about to blow up a building. I attacked him relentlessly, all my anger and rage went into those punches, like in those stories I told you about. Against my uncle and Frieza, in the end I was completely spent, and 17's face looked like a dropped pie. I beat him completely unrecognizable, but he was still alive and 18 caught up with us and she attacked me as I was spent. After Android 18 beat me down she didn't finish me off in anger, instead she ran over to 17 in concern and immediately left, apparently they can feel some form of family love towards their own blood. I beat 17 so good that the next 12th Android 17 was or still in for repairs or they still had to come over the shock that I almost killed one of them." Gohan finished with a faint chuckle.

Trunks was silent, what could he possibly say?

"It is still hard for me to come with the terms to it." Gohan started as a few tears started to stream down from his eyes: "And I don't want you to have to make those kind of choices. So when it comes down between you and me, I want you to save yourself."

Trunks could only stare at him, he never had seen him so vulnerable before.

"Promise me." As a hand grabbed his collar bringing him closer, breaking the stare, Trunks saw the pleading look in Gohan's eyes. "Promise me, please."

Trunks nodded: "I promise."

_*End flashback, back to where we were:*_

Reliving those memories weren't any relief of the pain he was feeling, deciding to meditate to calm is mind Trunks sat cross-legged on the ground. There was something calming about sensing the stable ki of his mother working in the lab, or the ki's of Roshi and company in their submarine.

Suddenly his eyes shot open upon feeling a somewhat familiar ki, it was very very low, but it was there:

'_Gohan!'_

Trunks immediately blasted off towards it, approaching the for the most part destroyed Orange Star City Trunks lost the energy signal, due it being so small. Flying over the streets, he heard somebody below. He landed in front of a clothing store and proceeded to enter towards the sound. What he didn't expect was to find the two beings responsible for the horrible situation the earth now is in.

"Oh, look who it is, one of our toys decided to visit us." Android 17 began. "I must say that I didn't expect you, normally you only come after us when we are trying to have fun."

Before Trunks could reply Android 18 spoke up: "Well, I am having fun, it's your problem you're so narrow-minded."

Ignoring his sister's remark 17 said: "Well sis, since we already had our tiebreaker called one-arm, how about we just ruffle him up?"

"Fine by me." 18 replied.

Trunks' genetics from his father's half decided to made itself known, letting others know that they're not the superior: "Don't you want to know why I'm here? Even when you two weren't wreaking havoc? Or are you both such mindless creatures who are too stupid to use your brains?"

Trunks was by now floating in the air with his arms crossed with a smug look on his face. Trunks himself wasn't sure why he said what he said, but their reaction felt like a small victory.

"What are you saying?" An angry looking 17 said, not pleased with Trunks' insult.

A smirk made its way of Trunks' face: "We know where you are when you blow stuff up because we can sense the energy from the blasts. The reason I'm here right now is because I felt someone's energy, it looks like you still missed someone."

That pissed them off big time.

"RAAAAAAHHH!" With a yell 17 punched Trunks in the face, sending him flying. When Trunks had stabilized himself in the air 17 glared at the boy: "I guess you will be the tiebreaker than."

The look on 17's face in combination with the words that were spoken Trunks felt fear creeping up his spine. The following battle was pretty one-sided, even with the newly unlocked Super Saiyan transformation, Trunks stood no chance. This came due having almost zero experience with the Super Saiyan transformation, together with the fact that he was not very experienced at fighting itself and that the androids were still stronger. After being hit by the 34th punch from 17, or was it the 35th, Trunks crashed into the ground, getting up in a kneeled position.

"Time for you to say hello to one-arm in Otherworld." 17 announced.

"Let me do the honors." 18 said as she launched a blast at the already beaten boy's stomach.

The blast took him into a building before exploding and brining the rest of the already ruined complex on top of him. Opening his eyes and shoving some debris off of him, Trunks examined himself: "Well, I'm still alive."

'_Maybe I can sneak to safety, Gohan said that when those of Saiyan blood heal from any injury they get a power boost. Maybe next time I will stand a better chance.'_ Trunks thought, as he climbed out of the rubble, with his right eye swollen shut and cluthing his left arm. Suddenly he remembered why he came here in the first place: _'Gohan's energy signal! Darn! Even if I find him now somehow I'm in bad shape and the signal self was also weak. RAAAHH! Why does nothing go good for once?'_

Lost in thought Trunks didn't see the orange bandana-wearing android hovering a few feet in front of him. When the sound of someone clearing his throat made its way towards Trunks' ears his face snapped towards the source of the sound and came eye to eyes with 17.

'_Great, now I won't hear the end from it from Gohan in Otherworld about how I should always pay attention to my surroundings.'_ Trunks thought, it may have been funny and he may have laughed at it, if he didn't feel so weak.

"I can't believe you didn't kill him, he isn't that strong, don't tell me you developed a weak spot for him." 17 started.

Instead of replying 18 ignored him and stared Trunks hard in the eyes and spoke: "Where is this person you spoke of? If you tell us he or she will become our tiebreaker instead of you. Than we keep you around for a while longer to entertain us."

This put Trunks in a dilemma, he didn't want to write the death sentence for his master who somehow may have survived his initial death. But on the other hand, he himself didn't want to die, which is very logical when you fear for your death.

'_and I don't want you to have to make those kind of choices. So when it comes down between you and me, I want you to save yourself.'_

Taking a deep breath Trunks replied: "Alright, I'll do it." And with that Trunks closed his eyes in search of the energy.

A few moments past.

"Hurry up." Said an agitated 17.

18 was just staring of into the distance. _'I know I keep my end of deals, but this time is boring, if it takes any longer I just might break one or two.'_

Concentrating even harder Trunks finally found the Gohan-like energy signal, surprisingly is was very close, Trunks' eyes widened in realization:

The energy signal came from inside Android 18…

(Guess what the deal was…)


End file.
